An experimental implant for applying a DC electrical field to peripheral nerve.

Several studies have shown that nerve fibers grow preferentially toward the cathode when placed in an electrical field. To study the effects of electrical stimulation on in vivo nerve regeneration, an inexpensive implantable current source has been developed which is able to reliably deliver a minute DC current (0.57 microA) via wick electrodes. The current density was measured directly with a vibrating probe and compared to the delivered current. The mean current density along the normal unoperated rat sciatic nerve was 0.19 microA/cm2, while the value along the nerve near the wick electrodes positioned 15 mm apart with an active in vivo implant was 23.39 microA/cm2. This application promises to provide a potentially useful means of enhancing nerve regeneration clinically.